TGF—β receptors in mouse ES—5 cells and their differentiated derivatives

By radioreceptor binding studies with iodinated TGF－β1,it has been shown that an undifferentiated ES-5 cell expresses approximately 3270 receptors with a dissociation constant Kd-130pM,but after the induction of differentiation by retinoic acid and dBcAMP,the receptor number of a differentiated RA-ES-5 cell was increased about 80% and the Kd was also increased to 370 pM.Furthermore,more direct evidence supporting the expression of TGF-β type I and type Ⅱ receptors in both ES-5 and RA-ES-5 cells has come from dot blot hybridization of cellular mRNA with cDNA probes for type I and type Ⅱ receptors.Meanwhile,mRNA expression level of types I and Ⅱ receptors in R-ES-5 cells were higher than that in ES-5 cells.Down-regulation of TGF-β receptors with a significant decrease in the rate of cell proliferation in both cells,was found by employing a pretreatment with neutralizing antibody to TGF-β1.The possible role of receptors for TGF-β in cell differentiation is discussed here.     

EGF receptor—mediated intracellular calcium increase in human hepatoma BEL—7404 cells

Epidermal growth factor(EGF) induced intracellular free calcium ([Ca^2 ]i) response was studied in fura-2- or fluo-3-loaded human hepatoma cells of BEL-7404 cell line.Single cell[Ca^2 ]i analysis and [Ca^2 ]i measurement in cell populations revealed that EGF triggered a rapid[Ca^2 ]i increase in the dose-dependent and time-dependent manner.Pretreatment of cells with an endoplasmic reticulum(ER) Ca^2 -ATPase inhibitor,thapsigargin(TG) at 100nM concentration for 20 min,completely abolished EGF-induced [Ca^2 ]i increase,and chelating extracellular calcium by excess EGTA partially inhibited the increase.Furthermore,the expression of antisense EGF receptor sequence in BEL-7404 cells suppressed the [Ca^2 ]i response to EGF.The results suggest that EGF receptor-mediated [Ca^2 ]i increase in the human hepatoma cells is essentially dependent on the Ca^2 storage in ER.     

中枢催产素在电针镇痛中的作用

本工作以钾离子透入法引起大鼠甩尾反应的电流强度(mA)为痛反应指标,观察了侧脑室注射催产素(OT)及抗催产素血清(AOTS)对大鼠痛阈和电针镇痛效应的影响。注射50 ngOT 后80min 内,大鼠痛阈比注药前增加20—38%。与注射生理盐水组的痛阈相比有非常明显的增高(p<0.01—0.001),侧脑室注射 OT 后电针期内,痛阈增加139—234%,与生理盐水电针组相比,有显著差异(P<0.05—0.01)。OT 的剂量在25—100ng 范围内,其增强电针镇痛效应有明显的剂量-效应关系。注射 AOTS 后,电针镇痛应明显低于注射正常兔血清(NRS)组(p<0.05—0.01)。上述结果表明,侧脑室注射 OT,既可提高痛阈又可明显地增强电针镇痛效应,而用 AOTS消除内源性 OT 的作用后,电针镇痛效应明显降低。这提示,中枢神经系统内的 OT 在电针镇痛过程中,发挥一定的作用     

大鼠背外侧索中各类上行纤维的电生理学特征

在大鼠胸髓下段,用分离纤维细束法观察背外侧索(dorsolateral funiculus,DLF)中各类上行纤维的电生理学特征。在记录的251个单位中,144个主要接受A_β类纤维输入的单位对触毛和/或轻压皮肤反应,26个伤害性单位和毛压-伤害性会聚单位接受A_δ和C纤维的传入;这两类纤维主要沿DLF的中、浅层上行,且具有明显的会聚特点;提示其中部分单位可能属于脊颈束(spinocervicaltract,SCT)。在DLF的深、中层分离到61个对关节运动敏感的单位,它们可能属于脊髓小脑背束(dorsal spinocerebellar tract,DSST)。另有20个对各类自然刺激均无反应的自发单位。在DLF的浅层近背根处,还记录到38条来自对侧的交叉上行纤维,它们与同侧的非交叉上行纤维相混杂,其生理学特性与同侧上行纤维相似,本文结果提供了大鼠DLF中存在部分交叉上行纤维的生理学证据。     

家兔膈神经元的电活动类型及其在膈神经呼气相电活动中的作用

家兔40只,乌拉坦静脉麻醉,三碘季铵酚制动,人工通气,切断双侧颈迷走神经干,引导左侧膈神经干和右侧膈神经单纤维的传出电活动。在保持动物正常PaCO_2和PaO_2的条件下,所观察的144个膈神经单位,按其电活动与呼吸周期的关系,可分为三类:第一类(U_Ⅰ,占44％),仅在吸气相放电;第二类(U_Ⅱ,41％),放电自吸气相持续到呼气相前期;第三类(U_Ⅲ,15％),在整个呼吸周期中连续放电。逐步加大给动物的人工通气量,在PaCO_2逐渐降低的过程中,96％的U_Ⅰ和58％的U_Ⅱ的放电频率逐渐降低,但始终保持时相性放电的特性,直至放电停止,对具有这些特性的单位称为时相性单位。其余4％的U_Ⅰ和42％的U_Ⅱ,在低PaCO_2下逐渐转为紧张性放电,将这些单位和全部U_Ⅲ称为紧张性单位。我们以前报道的家兔膈神经干的呼气相电活动,是紧张性单位活动的表现。在放电特性方面,本文报告的家兔膈神经元群中的时相性单位和紧张性单位,与Hilaire和St.John报告的猫膈神经元群中的晚募集单位和早募集单位,有类似之处,但不尽相同。     

Presence of the water lily,Trapa natans L., increases fitness of the water strider,Gerris nepalensis

Abstract Exposure of the waterstrider, Gerris nepalensis, to leaves of the water lily, Trapa natans, during either the larval or adult stage increases the proportion of reproductive females (60.0%) and increases the number of eggs laid by G. nepalensis (25.1 ± 8.1) compared with leaves of another floating plant, Hydrocharis dubia (20.2%, 6.7 ± 17.8), and mimic leaves made of polystyrene (24.2%, 20.0 ± 16.9). The larval period at 25 °C is significantly shorter when larvae are reared together with water lily leaves than when reared with mimic leaves made of thin styrene. A significantly higher percentage (76.4 ± 39.9) of eggs laid by females that are reared with lily leaves in larval and adult stages develop successfully to the first instar compared with those reared with ‘mimic‐leaves’ (% hatched‐out successfully: 53.9 ± 39.3). The effect of T. natans on G. nepalensis demonstrated in the present study is to increase the number of G. nepalensis in the habitat and likely increase foraging pressure on the lily leaf beetle, Galerucella nipponensis. Possible mechanisms of this relationship between T. natans and G. nepalensis are discussed.     

Quantitative trait loci analysis of individual and total isoflavone contents in soybean seeds

Soybean isoflavones play diverse roles in human health, including cancers, osteoporosis, heart disease, menopausal symptoms and pabulums. The objective of this study was to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the isoflavones daidzein (DC), genistein (GeC), glycitein (GlC) and total isoflavone contents (TIC) in soybean seeds. A population of 184 F_21:0 recombinant inbred lines derived from a ‘Xiaoheidou’ בGR8836’ cross was planted in pot and field conditions to evaluate soybean isoflavones. Twenty-one QTL were detected by composite interval mapping. Several QTL were associated with the traits for DC, GeC, GlC and TIC only. QDGeGlTIC4_1 and QDGlTIC12_1 are reported first in this study and were associated with the DC, GeC, GlC and TIC traits simultaneously. The QTL identified have potential value for marker-assisted selection to develop soybean varieties with desirable isoflavone content.     

The morphology of Yujiangolepis liujingensis (Placodermi,Arthrodira) from the Pragian of Guangxi (south China) and its phylogenetic significance

The morphology of the arthrodire placoderm Yujiangolepis liujingensis Wang, Pan & Wang, 1998, from the Lower Devonian of Guangxi is redescribed, and compared to that of the basal arthrodires Antarctaspis White, 1968 from Antarctica, Toombalepis Young & Goujet, 2003 and Wuttagoonaspis Ritchie, 1973 from Australia, and Yiminaspis Dupret, 2008 from south China. A very small plate of the skull roof at the junction of the nuchal, marginal, postorbital, and paranuchal plates is considered as the vestigial homologue of the anterior paranuchal plate in the Petalichthyida and Acanthothoraci. Yujiangolepis is attributed to the family ‘Antarctaspididae’ White, 1968, together with the genera Antarctaspis and Toombalepis. A computerized phylogenetic analysis resolved Yujiangolepis as the most basal arthrodire, and the family ‘Antarctaspididae’ appears paraphyletic, Yujiangolepis being possibly the most basal. The family Wuttagoonaspididae contains the genera Wuttagoonaspis and Yiminaspis, and remains monophyletic. A Chinese origin of the ‘Antarctaspididae’ is proposed, together with a southward dispersal into Gondwana during the Early Emsian.     

Morphology,morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of a new marine urostylid ciliate (Ciliophora,Stichotrichia) from the South China Sea,and a brief overview of the convergent evolution of the midventral pattern within the Spirotrichea

The morphology, infraciliature, morphogenetic events, and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene‐based phylogeny of a stichotrich ciliate, Bergeriella ovata gen. et sp. nov. , found in coastal waters off Daya Bay, Guangdong, South China, were investigated. The new taxon has an atypical midventral pattern, and is characterized by several rather unusual morphological features: frontal cirri forming an irregular tricorona; one nonmigratory row located right of the midventral rows, which is morphogenetically derived from the posteriormost fronto‐ventral‐transverse (FVT) streak; conspicuously enlarged postoral ventral cirri, whereas the left ventral cirri are delicate and arranged in oblique rows. Based on both the morphological and morphogenetical data, a new family, Bergeriellidae fam. nov. , is proposed. In the SSU rRNA phylogenetic trees, B. ovata gen. et sp. nov. groups with the classic urostylids (urostylids s.s.) with high nodal support. Our phylogenetic analyses have revealed at least seven separate clades for midventral pattern‐bearing taxa (e.g. Pattersoniella, Neokeronopsis, Rigidothrix, urostylids s.s., Uroleptidae, Holostichidae + Psammomitridae, and Pseudoamphisiellidae), suggesting that the order Urostylida Jankowski, 1979 sensu Lynn, 2008 is a polyphyletic assemblage, and that the convergent evolution of the urostylid midventral pattern might have occurred more times among the spirotrichs than has previously been recognized. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 697–710.     

Polymerase chain reaction primers for polymorphic microsatellite loci from the Korean sandfish,Arctoscopus japonicus

We developed 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers from Arctoscopus japonicus by screening an enriched genomic library using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The average of alleles size was 16.2, and the average observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.59 and 0.78, respectively. The observed genotypic frequencies in five loci were significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg expectations. The high variability revealed in this study suggested that these microsatellite loci should provide useful markers for population genetics of A. japonicus.